King Gnu - ねっこ/Roots
King Gnu


sasayaka na hana de ii
A modest flower is fine

  • ささやか /sasayaka/：
    modest, small
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
oogesa de nakute ii
It doesn't need to be grand

  • 大袈裟おおげさ /oogesa/：
    exaggerated, overdone
  • なくていい /nakute ii/：
    doesn't need to be, no need for
tada anata ni totte
As long as for you

  • ただ /tada/：
    just, simply
  • あなた /anata/：
    you
  • にとって /ni totte/：
    for, in regard to
kachi ga areba ii
It has some value, that's enough

  • 価値かち /kachi/：
    value, worth
  • あれば /areba/：
    if there is (dict. form: ある); conditional form
dare mo kizukanai
Even if no one notices

  • 誰だれも /dare mo/：
    no one (with negative)
  • 気きづかない /kizukanai/：
    doesn't notice (dict. form: 気づく); negative form
arifureta ichirin de ii
An ordinary single bloom is fine

  • 有あり触ふれた /arifureta/：
    common, ordinary (dict. form: 有り触れる); past/attributive form
  • 一輪いちりん /ichirin/：
    one bloom (counter for flowers)
anata ga unadareta
Where you have hung your head

  • 項垂うなだれた /unadareta/：
    hung one's head (dict. form: 項垂れる); past form
sono saki ni ne wo haru
I'll put down roots just ahead of you

  • 先さき /saki/：
    ahead, in front
  • 根ね /ne/：
    root
  • 張はる /haru/：
    to stretch, to spread
sonna hana de ii
That kind of flower will do

  • そんな /sonna/：
    that kind of
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
tada mokumoku to nekko nobashite
Just silently stretching out my roots

  • 黙々もくもくと /mokumoku to/：
    silently, without speaking
  • ねっこ /nekko/：
    root (colloquial/affectionate form of 根っこ)
  • 伸のばして /nobashite/：
    stretching out (dict. form: 伸ばす); te-form
anata ni mitsukaru no wo matsu no
I wait to be found by you

  • 見みつかる /mitsukaru/：
    to be found, to be discovered
  • 待まつ /matsu/：
    to wait
toki no hohaba ga ooki sugiru kara
Because time's stride is too big

  • 時とき /toki/：
    time
  • 歩幅ほはば /hohaba/：
    stride, step width
  • 大おおき過すぎる /ooki sugiru/：
    too big (大きい: big + 過ぎる: too much)
kyou mo unzari suru hodo ni
Today too, to the point of weariness

  • 今日きょう /kyou/：
    today
  • 倦うんざりする /unzari suru/：
    to be fed up, to be sick of
  • 程ほど /hodo/：
    to the extent of
kono mi no take wo shiru no
I come to know my own small stature

  • 身みの丈たけ /mi no take/：
    one's stature, one's own measure (figuratively, one's abilities and limits)
  • 知しる /shiru/：
    to know, to understand
nozomanu tomo tokei no hari wa susumi tsuzukeru
Even if I don't wish for it, the hands of the clock keep moving

  • 望のぞまぬ /nozomanu/：
    doesn't wish (dict. form: 望む); classical negative form (= 望まない)
  • とも /tomo/：
    even if, even though
  • 時計とけい /tokei/：
    clock
  • 針はり /hari/：
    needle, hand (of a clock)
  • 進すすみ続つづける /susumi tsuzukeru/：
    keeps moving forward (進む: to advance + 続ける: to continue)
motomeru hodo toozakaru daiji na mono koso
The more you seek, the further away they go — especially the precious ones

  • 求もとめる /motomeru/：
    to seek, to want
  • 程ほど /hodo/：
    the more... the more...
  • 遠とおざかる /toozakaru/：
    to grow distant
  • 大事だいじな /daiji na/：
    important, precious
  • 者もの /mono/：
    person, thing
  • こそ /koso/：
    precisely, especially (emphatic particle)
toki no kaze ga saratte yuku
The wind of time sweeps them away

  • 風かぜ /kaze/：
    wind
  • 攫さらって /saratte/：
    sweeping away (dict. form: 攫う); te-form
  • ゆく /yuku/：
    to go (dict. form: 行く); literary expression suggesting gradual departure
omoide no gareki ni ne wo hatteru
I'm putting down roots in the rubble of memories

  • 思おもい出で /omoide/：
    memories
  • 瓦礫がれき /gareki/：
    rubble, ruins
  • 根ねを張はってる /ne wo hatteru/：
    is putting down roots (張ってる = 張っている, colloquial contraction)
koko de itsumade mo matte iru
I'm waiting here forever

  • 此処ここ /koko/：
    here
  • 何時迄いつまでも /itsumade mo/：
    forever, always
  • 待まっている /matte iru/：
    is waiting
kyou mo anata wo omotte iru
Today too, I'm thinking of you

  • 今日きょう /kyou/：
    today
  • 想おもっている /omotte iru/：
    is thinking of (dict. form: 想う); continuous form
kazaranai hana de ii
An unadorned flower is fine

  • 飾かざらない /kazaranai/：
    unadorned (dict. form: 飾る: to decorate); negative form
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
hanayaka de nakute ii
It doesn't need to be showy

  • 華はなやか /hanayaka/：
    showy, gorgeous
anata no itami no ue ni
On top of your pain

  • 痛いたみ /itami/：
    pain, ache
  • 上うえ /ue/：
    on top, above
ne wo harereba ii
If I can put down roots, that's enough

  • 根ねを張はれれば /ne wo harereba/：
    if can put down roots (dict. form: 根を張る); potential conditional form
hitoshikiri no ame ni
In a passing shower

  • 一ひと頻しきり /hitoshikiri/：
    a passing spell, a while
  • 雨あめ /ame/：
    rain
nagasarenu you na
Like one that won't be washed away

  • 流ながされぬ /nagasarenu/：
    won't be washed away (流す: to wash away; passive 流される + classical negative ぬ)
  • ような /you na/：
    like, as if
futoshita kanashimi wo sotto wasuresaseru you na
Like one that gently makes you forget a sudden sadness

  • ふとした /futoshita/：
    sudden, casual
  • 悲かなしみ /kanashimi/：
    sadness
  • そっと /sotto/：
    softly, gently
  • 忘わすれさせる /wasuresaseru/：
    to make forget (忘れる: to forget + させる: causative)
sonna hana de ii
That kind of flower will do

  • そんな /sonna/：
    that kind of
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
sonna hana ga ii
That kind of flower is best

  • そんな /sonna/：
    that kind of
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
tada kimi ga naku nara boku mo naku kara
Just because if you cry, I'll cry too

  • 君きみ /kimi/：
    you (affectionate)
  • 泣なく /naku/：
    to cry
  • なら /nara/：
    if, in case
  • 僕ぼく /boku/：
    I (male)
sono utsukushiku tsuyoku nobita ne wa
Those beautifully, strongly grown roots

  • 美うつくしく /utsukushiku/：
    beautifully (dict. form: 美しい); adverbial form
  • 強つよく /tsuyoku/：
    strongly (dict. form: 強い); adverbial form
  • 伸のびた /nobita/：
    grew (dict. form: 伸びる); past form
  • 根ね /ne/：
    root
dare ni mo mie ya shinai keredo
Though no one at all can see them

  • 誰だれにも /dare ni mo/：
    to anyone (with negative)
  • 見みえやしない /mie ya shinai/：
    cannot see at all (dict. form: 見える; やしない is a colloquial emphatic negative)
  • けれど /keredo/：
    though, but
mujou no ue ni sakihokore
Bloom proudly atop impermanence

  • 無常むじょう /mujou/：
    impermanence (Buddhist concept of the ever-changing nature of the world)
  • 上うえ /ue/：
    on top, above
  • 咲さき誇ほこれ /sakihokore/：
    bloom proudly (dict. form: 咲き誇る); imperative form
tada kimi ga naku nara boku mo naku kara
Just because if you cry, I'll cry too

  • 君きみ /kimi/：
    you (affectionate)
  • 泣なく /naku/：
    to cry
  • 僕ぼく /boku/：
    I (male)
kokoro futatsu kanashimi hitotsu de
Two hearts with one shared sorrow

  • 心こころ /kokoro/：
    heart
  • ふたつ /futatsu/：
    two
  • 悲かなしみ /kanashimi/：
    sadness
  • ひとつ /hitotsu/：
    one
nanjuu nen saki mo saki tsuzukeru hana
A flower that keeps blooming even decades from now

  • 何十なんじゅう年ねん /nanjuu nen/：
    several decades
  • 先さき /saki/：
    ahead, in the future
  • 咲さき続つづける /saki tsuzukeru/：
    keeps blooming (咲く: to bloom + 続ける: to continue)
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
mujou no ue ni saa sakihokore
Atop impermanence — come now, bloom proudly

  • 無常むじょう /mujou/：
    impermanence
  • さあ /saa/：
    come on, now (urging or encouraging)
  • 咲さき誇ほこれ /sakihokore/：
    bloom proudly (dict. form: 咲き誇る); imperative form
sasayaka na hana de ii
A modest flower is fine

  • ささやか /sasayaka/：
    modest, small
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
oogesa de nakute ii
It doesn't need to be grand

  • 大袈裟おおげさ /oogesa/：
    exaggerated, overdone
tada anata to ikudo mo no arashi wo mukaeyou to
Just so long as, with you, even meeting countless storms

  • あなた /anata/：
    you
  • 幾度いくど /ikudo/：
    many times, countless times
  • 嵐あらし /arashi/：
    storm
  • 迎むかえようと /mukaeyou to/：
    even if facing (dict. form: 迎える; volitional + と: even if intending to face)
kesshite ore wa shinai
I will never break

  • 決けっして /kesshite/：
    never, absolutely (with negative)
  • 折おれはしない /ore wa shinai/：
    won't break (dict. form: 折れる; はしない is an emphatic negative)
sonna hana ga ii
That kind of flower is best

  • そんな /sonna/：
    that kind of
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
sasayaka na hana de ii
A modest flower is fine

  • ささやか /sasayaka/：
    modest, small
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
oogesa de nakute ii
It doesn't need to be grand

  • 大袈裟おおげさ /oogesa/：
    exaggerated, overdone
tada anata ni totte
As long as for you

  • ただ /tada/：
    just, simply
  • あなた /anata/：
    you
  • にとって /ni totte/：
    for, in regard to
kachi ga areba ii
It has some value, that's enough

  • 価値かち /kachi/：
    value, worth
  • あれば /areba/：
    if there is (dict. form: ある); conditional form
dare mo kizukanai
Even if no one notices

  • 誰だれも /dare mo/：
    no one (with negative)
  • 気きづかない /kizukanai/：
    doesn't notice (dict. form: 気づく); negative form
arifureta ichirin de ii
An ordinary single bloom is fine

  • 有あり触ふれた /arifureta/：
    common, ordinary (dict. form: 有り触れる); past/attributive form
  • 一輪いちりん /ichirin/：
    one bloom (counter for flowers)
anata ga unadareta
Where you have hung your head

  • 項垂うなだれた /unadareta/：
    hung one's head (dict. form: 項垂れる); past form
sono saki ni ne wo haru
I'll put down roots just ahead of you

  • 先さき /saki/：
    ahead, in front
  • 根ね /ne/：
    root
  • 張はる /haru/：
    to stretch, to spread
kazaranai hana de ii
An unadorned flower is fine

  • 飾かざらない /kazaranai/：
    unadorned (dict. form: 飾る: to decorate); negative form
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower
hanayaka de nakute ii
It doesn't need to be showy

  • 華はなやか /hanayaka/：
    showy, gorgeous
anata no yorokobi no ue ni
On top of your joy

  • 喜よろこび /yorokobi/：
    joy, gladness
  • 上うえ /ue/：
    on top, above
mi ga nareba ii
If fruit can grow, that's enough

  • 実み /mi/：
    fruit
  • 生なれば /nareba/：
    if it bears (dict. form: 生る/なる: to bear fruit); conditional form
hitoshikiri no ame ni
In a passing shower

  • 一ひと頻しきり /hitoshikiri/：
    a passing spell, a while
  • 雨あめ /ame/：
    rain
nagasarenu you na
Like one that won't be washed away

  • 流ながされぬ /nagasarenu/：
    won't be washed away (流す: to wash away; passive 流される + classical negative ぬ)
  • ような /you na/：
    like, as if
futoshita kanashimi wo sotto wasuresaseru you na
Like one that gently makes you forget a sudden sadness

  • ふとした /futoshita/：
    sudden, casual
  • 悲かなしみ /kanashimi/：
    sadness
  • そっと /sotto/：
    softly, gently
  • 忘わすれさせる /wasuresaseru/：
    to make forget (忘れる: to forget + させる: causative)
sonna hana ga ii
That kind of flower is best

  • そんな /sonna/：
    that kind of
  • 花はな /hana/：
    flower